The Church and Culture

There is a popular expression in Christian circles that depicts the relationship between the church and culture as “In the world, but not of the world.” This expression is evolved from John 17:16–18, where Jesus asserts that His disciples are “not of the world” just as He is not of the world. He further states that He sends His disciples “into the world,” as the Father sent Him into the world. I use this passage of Scripture as a starting point because it clearly attests that the Church should engage with culture in some fashion. After all, Jesus wouldn’t send His disciples into the world system or culture, if this wasn’t true. The question then, becomes how should Christians engage?

H. Richard Niebuhr, in his book, Christ and Culture, categorizes five ways Christians interact with culture:

1. Christ against culture
2. Christ of culture
3. Christ above culture
4. Christ the transformer of culture
5. Christ and culture in paradox

While I find some facet of each model problematic. I do believe there are aspects that can be extracted from some of the models to help inform the Church on how to engage the culture around it. The two I find most extreme and difficult to reconcile biblically, however, are Christ against culture and Christ of culture. The Christ against culture model views all culture outside of the church as sinful, and therefore, promotes isolating and separating from the world. While one could argue that Christians are called to be distinct from the world system; as Paul in 2 Cor. 6:17, instructs the Corinthian church that the Lord says, “Come out from among them(unbelievers) and be separate.” Nevertheless, it is difficult for Christians to be salt and light in the world if we withdraw from the culture completely. On the other extreme is the Christ of culture model, which sees little, if any conflict between culture and the Christian faith. Cultural expressions are accepted uncritically. This is in direct contradiction to Jesus’ statement in John 18:36: “My kingdom is not of this world.” Additionally, Rom 12:2 tells believers not to be conformed to the pattern of this world.

Photo by Pratham Gupta on Unsplash

The remaining three models, although not complete in and of themselves, offer a more viable framework for how Christians can engage and relate to the surrounding culture. Firstly, the Christ above culture model views cultural expression as basically good, but in need of augmentation and perfection by Christian revelation. Christ is considered supreme over everything, including culture. Rom. 9:5 indicates that Christ is “exalted and supreme over all.” Secondly, Christ the transformer of culture expresses the belief that the Church should work to transform culture to God’s glory because of it being corrupted by the fall. The Great Commission instructs Christians to “make disciples of all nations,” “baptize them” in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit’s name, and “teach them to obey” everything Christ commands. This definitely expresses transforming culture. The last model is Christ and culture in paradox. It points to a tension that exists between the Church’s relationship to culture because of sin. Therefore, it endorses simultaneously embracing and rejecting certain aspects of culture. In 1 Cor 9:19–23, Paul communicates the idea of becoming all things to all men, “so that by all possible means (he) might save some.” He shows the need to relate to the cultural differences around him, without losing sight of who he is in Christ.

I believe there is some insight to be drawn from the last three models, as the Church lives out its call to be Christ’s ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20) — being of another culture (the Kingdom of Heaven), while living in and engaging this present culture.